It’s time to dish out our tried and true ways to make money FAST! One of the keys to quickly paying off debt and building wealth faster is to create a greater spread between what you earn and what you spend, something that we call “financial margin.” You can create financial margin by decreasing your expenses, making more money, or both. Of course, we recommend doing both!
When we were working on becoming debt-free, we not only reduced our spending but also took every opportunity to make an extra buck. We sold books, clothes, furniture – basically, anything that wasn’t bolted down. Additionally, we picked up odd jobs, filled out online surveys, and did a bit of mystery shopping as well. If you’d like to hear more of our debt-free story, be sure to read How We Paid Off $68K of Debt in 16 Months!
There are endless ways to make money fast! But where to start? We’ve put together a simple guide to help you begin TODAY. These tactics won’t require a lot of time, are feasible for just about anyone, and can be started right away.
Whether you call it a side hustle, gig, or second job, we’ve compiled our favorite ways to make extra money fast. We’ve personally tried most of the options on the list, so we’ll give you honest feedback based on our experience and a rough idea of how much you can expect to make.
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10 Ways to Make Money Fast
1. Sell Your Stuff
This is the best place to make money fast because it starts where you are and with what you have at your disposal. Take a look at the clothes you don’t wear, the books you don’t read, and all the stuff stored up in the attic or out in the garage. For the most part, you can turn just about any used item, as long as it’s in good condition, into cash!
To sell your stuff, you can opt for an old-fashioned yard sale or, you can post your used merch on any number of online marketplaces such as Facebook Marketplace, Craigslist, Amazon, LetGo, or eBay. Go ahead, and start dusting off those hidden treasures in the attic. You’ll declutter your house and fatten your wallet at the same time.
Here are some general selling tips:
- Prep your items to look their best! Remove dirt, stains, and grime from whatever you’re selling before you list it. Items that are stained or dirty will sell at rock-bottom prices. Keep in mind, your goal should be to get the most money for your item!
- Selling items individually will allow you to charge more than a bundle deal. But if you’re not selling items as fast as you’d like, consider grouping things into small bundles, consisting of 4 or 5 items that can be sold as a lot.
- If you are selling items that need to be shipped, buy soft bubble mailers and other shipping supplies from Walmart or Dollar Tree. The quality is the same as what they have at the Post Office. Not to mention, you’ll pay a fraction of the price.
- Familiarize yourself with current shipping rates. By doing so, you can ensure that you charge the right amount to ship your item or factor it into the list price.
- Take GOOD photos of your items because people buy with their eyes! In essence, a good product photo consists of items that are close-up, well-lit, not blurry, and offers additional shots with various angles.
- For yard sales, mark your prices up just a little bit. For example, instead of $1.00, list it for $1.50. This gives you a little room to negotiate and still make the money you want.
- Last but not least, if your home isn’t in a prime location, partner up with someone for a joint yard sale. Yard sales will make you the most money fast! Consider a two-day event on Friday (ideal time from 3:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m.) and Saturday (8:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m.) for the most traffic. Generally speaking, you can bring in anywhere between $100 to $500 from a yard sale!
Not only are treasures likey hiding in your attic, but there are also probably a few treasures tucked away in your wallet as well. Have you ever gotten a gift card to a restaurant you don’t really like or a store you don’t shop at? If so, make some quick cash and sell your gift cards on Raise!
You can sell your gift card to Raise at a reduced amount compared to the value of your gift card. For example, you might have a $25 gift card for Pizza Hut, but you never eat there. Raise will buy it from you for say $20 and now you have cash that you can spend however you choose!
2. Flip It
We “flipping love” flipping around here! While most people don’t have the extra cash to flip houses, the good news is that you can flip just about anything. And when you start small, there isn’t as much risk!
The basic concept of “flipping” something is to buy low and sell high. Therefore, you’ll want to know the market value price of the item you’re wanting to flip. When we flip an item, we always do a little bit of research on current selling prices to make sure that what we’re buying to flip is a good deal and that we can make a profit. If we’re sourcing products from a brick-and-mortar retail store, our favorite app to check prices is the Shop Savvy Barcode Scanner.
When we were paying off debt, we focused specifically on flipping books. Yard sales and places like Goodwill and Salvation Army are a gold mine for used books! In our experience flipping books, “Best Sellers” don’t tend to actually resell well because the market is saturated with them. We found a lot of success selling hardback children’s books (especially vintage copies!), textbooks, and religious books.
In addition to books, you might want to consider flipping
- Appliances
- Board games
- Retro video games
- Retro action figures
- Antiques
- Tools
- Vintage clothes
Your profit from flipping items will vary widely. But, at our peak, we were making $250 per month consistently in book sales on Amazon.
The possibilities with flipping for profit are endless. Another example: if you’re a couponer, you can even coupon for household products such as laundry detergent, cleaners, and paper products. Then resell them at a bundle price cheaper than what they can usually be purchased for at local retail stores.
3. Do Odd Jobs
Your neighbors need all sorts of services: lawn care, pet care, gutter cleaning, snow shoveling, furniture moving, pressure washing, you name it! Why not take advantage of your relationship and proximity by asking for their business? Side hustles like these may not be steady, but they can add up to several hundred dollars a month during the right seasons.
According to Home Advisor, homeowners, on average, spend $49-$219 each time they purchase lawn care service. If your neighbor has his lawn mowed only 2 or 3 times a month during the summer, you’re potentially making $100s a month in extra income for a few hours of work!
4. Open a Bank Account
This is another tactic that takes only a little time and effort. Many banks will give you a bonus for opening an account and making a specified number of transactions within a certain time frame. Once you’ve completed the requirements, the money is deposited into the account. You can leave the account open, or transfer the money and close the account.
Sign-up bonuses vary widely and have different requirements. Some may even require a rather large cash deposit. Bonuses for opening a checking or savings account can range from $50 all the way up to $750!
To research the latest sign-up bonuses that banks are offering, check out BankRate, MoneyCrashers, or NerdWallet.
5. Become a Driver
Companies like Uber have changed the way people get around big cities. If you live near a metropolitan area and own your own car, then becoming a driver is a great option for making extra money on the side. Uber and Lyft are essentially taxi services but rely on personal vehicles rather than taxicabs!
But driving for extra income doesn’t stop there! You can even earn money by picking up people’s food and delivering it to them! Check out DoorDash and GrubHub to see if these services are available in your area.
Another way to make money fast is to drive for Amazon! Amazon has opened up the door for part-time drivers to deliver packages through its Flex program. Head here to check it out!
How much do they pay?
- Uber and Lyft drivers make $12-$20+ per hour depending on the city.
- DoorDash and GrubHub drivers make approximately $10-$11 per hour.
- Amazon Flex drivers make approximately $18-$25 per hour.
If you signed up for any of these side hustles and were able to do just 10 hours per week at a conservative rate of $15/hr, you would earn $150 per week. Moreover, many of these companies offer sign-up bonuses on occasion.
6. Become a Mystery Shopper
Mystery shopping isn’t as lucrative as it used to be, but you can still make a few extra bucks on the side without having to invest much time and energy.
Thrifty Tip: We always apply to mystery shops that involve food or other services we already use.
Restaurant shops are our favorite! You get a free meal. In addition, you often get a little extra cash on the side. If you’re looking for additional ways to save on restaurants, be sure to check out our article on Saving Money Eating Out.
The payment per mystery shop is usually between $5-$25 plus reimbursement for the item or service. Mystery shops don’t take up too much time, so you may be able to easily add several to your schedule which, in turn, could add up to $100 or more in extra income each month!
Before you do your first mystery shop, check out our article Everything Needed to Start Mystery Shopping!
Our Favorite Reputable Mystery Shopping Companies
- iSecret Shop
- Market Force
- Sinclair Customer Metrics
- Intelli-Shop
- Best Mark
- Second to None
- Secret Shopper
- About Face
- Ipsos iSay
- A Closer Look
- Confero
- Pinnacle
7. Share Your Opinion
There are loads of companies willing to pay for your opinion on just about everything. Filling out online surveys won’t make you rich, but they’re a simple way to generate a little extra money from the comfort of your own home without much effort.
Our Top Picks for Online Survey Companies
Of course, surveys don’t pay much. On average, surveys pay $1-$5 and take around 10-15 minutes to complete. However, if you were able to do just 5 per day at $1/survey, you’d make an extra $150 in just one month!
Similarly to surveys, you can get paid for your opinions by joining a focus group, and the pay is usually GOOD! Companies are always looking for ways to make sure that a product, service, or advertisement is going to appeal to their target demographic. So if you fit that demographic, you can get paid just for giving your honest feedback.
Our Recommendations for Online Focus Groups
8. Rent It
Your mother always told you it was important to share, right?! Little did she know that sharing could be profitable in more ways than one. If you own specialty tools and/or equipment, you can rent your stuff on Loanables.com for an average of $10-$20 per day.
Not only that, but you can also even rent your car! Sites such as Turo and GetAround allow you to advertise your vehicle for rent for approximately $10 per hour. Rather than letting it sit idly in the garage over the weekend, you can turn a profit on it. If you have a large truck or van, consider renting your vehicle on FluidTruck
Websites such as AirBNB are all the rage right now. Why not capitalize on the craze? Planning to leave town for a few days? Let someone rent out YOUR place which will generate income for you while you’re away! Even if you can’t leave your place entirely, consider renting a room for extra cash on the side! Generally speaking, renting your place could add up to hundreds and even THOUSANDS within a month!
Our Favorite Rental Sites
Related Reading: 15+ Rentable Items to Earn You Extra Money
9. Download These Apps
There are several apps that will help you earn money in any number of ways. Some of these apps will pay you for completing simple, repetitive tasks like watching a video or downloading a game app. By comparison, others help you make money on everyday purchases or for getting into shape.
Get Paid to Watch Videos & Perform Other Tasks
When we were talking about surveys, we mentioned SwagBucks and InboxDollars. But not only do these apps give you access to surveys, they also offer tons of other opportunities for scoring extra cash like watching videos and playing games. Plus when you sign up, you may qualify for a bonus.
Get Paid to Get Your Sweat On
Every year, I tell myself I’m going to get in shape. But as we all know, New Year’s Resolutions don’t usually stick. With Sweatcoin and HealthyWage, you can get paid to sweat. Not only can you work on your health goals, but you can also work on your financial ones as well.
Get Paid for Your Photography Skills
There are a lot of ways to make money as a photographer, from shooting weddings to newborn sessions. But you don’t have to be a pro to make money with Foap. Foap has created a repository of photos and videos, most of which were taken directly from smartphones. If you have an artistic eye and love snapping photos as well, you should check it out.
Get Paid for Shopping
Who doesn’t love shopping? With apps like Ibotta and Checkout 51, you can get paid for your purchases. It’s incredibly easy to earn rebates on just about everything. In addition, if you want to find out more about how to use these apps to save money at the grocery store, head on over, and read our Ultimate Guide to Saving Money on Groceries. Some of our other favorite rebate apps include Receipt Hog or Fetch Rewards.
Get Paid for Your Data
Neilson is a leader in market research. When you sign up, Neilson is able to gain insight into you as a consumer. In return, you’re paid a cool $50!
Get Paid for Your Old Books
Bookscouter is the best tool out there for selling your old books or reselling thrift store finds. They scour all major online stores to make sure you know how much you can get for your old books. Moreover, it’s a great tool for budget-minded bookworms who want the get the best deal.
10. Help Improve Google
Do you have an eye for detail and are pretty tech-savvy? If so, you might want to be a part-time search engine optimizer. You’ll get paid to improve the user experience for search engines like Google and Yahoo. You’ll, of course, need a relatively new computer, and you may need to be bilingual depending on the assignment. The tasks may not be steady, but you may be able to make $100s per month doing this!
Our Picks for Search Engine Optimization Companies
We hope this guide has helped inspire you to make money fast! Making money on the side always involves a challenge of some sort. Whether that challenge is one that pushes you outside your comfort zone or one that changes the way you spend your free time. But when you realize that there ARE creative ways to earn money, you’ll find it easier to do so, and may even discover a new hobby! And, if you’re looking for additional strategies for earning money quickly, check out 19+ Simple Ways To Make $200 Fast.
What tip from this article are you going to try first? Let us know in the comments below!
These are all amazing ideas! Thank you so much for taking the time to share all of your wisdom with us!
You’re so welcome! Thank you for reading and I hope it helped give you some ideas!
OMG there are so many different ways to make money nowadays that it isn’t even funny. I have tried just about everything on this list.
There is so much opportunity!
“Make Money FAST with These 10 Tricks” offers practical and effective methods to quickly boost your income. From freelancing opportunities to leveraging online platforms, these tips cater to various skills and interests. Ideal for anyone looking to earn extra cash quickly and efficiently. Start implementing these tricks today to see immediate financial benefits!